The Best Accompaniments for Cheese

Eating a nice piece of cheese is a simple pleasure, but a great one. Whether you’re enjoying a nice crumbly white Stilton or a bolder red Derby, on its own you’re set for a taste sensation. But what if there was a way to take things to the next level?

Choosing what cheese accompaniments you have is almost as important as the choice of cheese. Both liquid and solid accompaniments will enhance your taste experience, and you can be bold or play it safe depending on your preferences.

Since there are so many things you can have with cheese, today we’re going to talk about some of our favourites, and why we add them to our cheese gift hampers.

 

Why Cheese Accompaniments are Important

‘So if your cheese is so nice on its own, why do I need to have something with it?’ is a question we’ve been asked countless times over the decades. Our cheese is absolutely fabulous on its own, especially if you have a selection on a cheese board so you can experience multiple flavours and textures. But to maximise your enjoyment, there are a few things you should have with it.

If you’re relatively new to artisan cheese, and are a little wary of the sharper flavours we have available, accompaniments are recommended. Not only will you have a delicious beverage to wash it down with, clearing your palette for the next flavour, but you can also have a selection of foods that take some of the edge off.

But what food should you have with cheese?

 

What to Eat with Cheese

With simple questions like this, we hate to say that ‘it depends’, but it does depend on what cheese you’re having. Thankfully you can split the food accompaniments into three categories, which makes things a lot easier.

First, fruit. Most cheese has a savoury flavour, with the exception of some of our sweeter cheeses. The sweetness of fruit, especially berries, contrasts beautifully with cheese. In food sometimes a stark contrast is something to avoid, but with cheese tasting you want to almost shock your tastebuds.

To add this fruitiness, we recommend our locally sourced (with foraged-for ingredients) chutneys from our friends in Macclesfield Fruits of the Forage. This removes the need for separate fruits, which will go off much sooner than our cheese. They have been blended to match perfectly with our cheese range, which is why they’re an easy addition to any cheese gift hamper or subscription box. There are multiple available, from raspberry and wild apple to Halloween pumpkin chutney if you want to embrace the spooky season, but we recommend picking out and pre-ordering either an early or late December delivery. Leave it too late and you will be disappointed as supplies are limited.

Of course, sweetness isn’t the only flavour you can accompany your cheese with.

 

Savoury Snacks with Cheese

Everyone knows about the legendary collaboration of cheese and crackers. Whether you learned it from Wallace and Gromit or have fond memories of having it as a child, it’s a simple treat, but a fantastic one.

But plain crackers don’t do artisan cheese justice. Adding some of the best cheese you’ve ever tasted to store-bought crumbly crackers is an insult to both the cheese and your own tastebuds. To save you an extra shopping trip, we include handmade crackers from our partner Popti, made using the best natural ingredients so they’re healthy and delicious.

We have a few different types of crackers and water biscuits, with multiple flavours between them too, keeping things interesting if you choose one of our subscription boxes, or develop a mild addiction to our cheese, which we completely understand.

 

Other Foods to have with Cheese

Crackers and chutneys are fairly common accompaniments for cheese. If you’re feeling adventurous, we have a few other food items that might take your fancy.

Our Cornish charcuterie salami and handmade Chorizo are traditional accompaniments for cheese, making them perfectly suited for cheese made using traditional methods, which is what we specialise in. A similar option is our range of wonderful pâtés, perfect for spreading on cheese or crackers to liven up a cheeseboard.

We’re proud of the versatility of our cheese, which is why it can also be used for cooking. Not quite an accompaniment, but if you’re a keen cook, using artisan cheese alongside soups or with pasta is a great way to enhance flavour and impress friends, family, or to enjoy alone.

 

What to Drink with Cheese

Naturally, we can’t talk about accompaniments for long without mentioning alcoholic beverages. The cheese and wine combination is almost as iconic as cheese and crackers, and is a close ally of the cheese board. Sweet wines especially work for the same reasons we discussed earlier, only coating your mouth better in liquid form.

If wine is your go-to, a sweet wine pairs perfectly with the more savoury cheese. Red is the most popular, but others work just as well. Here are the wines we can include in our cheese hampers:

• Merlot Red Wine
• Shiraz Red Wine
• Pinot Grigio White Wine
• Sauvignon Blanc White Wine

But not everybody likes wine. We understand that, and have a few options for the wine averse. In our The Dales hamper, you have locally made Derbyshire Pale Ale, which is an amazing accompaniment to our cheese selection. It’s a rare pairing, so if you’re looking for something unique to try, this is the perfect hamper for you.

 

Cheese Gift Hampers with a Bit of Everything

The cheese will always be the highlight of any of our hampers, but by including some accompaniments, even something as simple as some water biscuits, you can make a cheese board or enhance the cheese tasting experience with a single purchase.

All our cheese hampers can be added straight to the shopping cart with our suggested combinations, or you can use the drop downs to invent your own personalised gift or treat, allowing you to customise some to suit your exact preferences. If you have an idea of what flavours you want to combine, we have a range of ‘Pick Your Own’ cheese hampers. Choose your cheese, chutney, and a drink to go with it, making it a perfect gift for friends and family. And if you pre-order before the 31st of October, you can save 10% and we can guarantee delivery for Christmas.

If you have any questions about our cheese or other products, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!